Video-game adaptations that hit the big screen are rarely a success. You only have to look at the recent response to the Assassin’s Creed movie to see how difficult it is to make something that comes from a gaming platform a film that ticks all the right boxes for viewing audiences. One video game series that has done well with its big screen transition however (no matter what the film critics may think), is the Resident Evil franchise. With five movies under its belt already, the series is going to be brought to an end a little later this month with the release of Resident Evil: The Final Chapter. Ahead of that though, we’ve decided to binge through the series so far and rank the Resident Evil movies from our least favourite right up to the one that made the best impression…
Milla Jovovich as Resident Evil's Alice
5. Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)
Despite being the most-recent Resident Evil movie, Retribution didn’t do as well as those that came before it when it came to our binge-a-thon. Bringing back Rain (Michelle Rodriguez) despite her death in the original movie was a nice call back, and whilst her time in the newer movie was a lot more fleeting, it definitely did a lot for those fans looking for a hint of nostalgia. Turning Jill Valentine (Sienna Guillory) into the movie’s villain was a smart move by screenplay writer Paul W. S. Anderson, and bringing her back to the side of good when the movie came to an end was an even better one. Kickass fighting scenes were scattered throughout Retribution, and whilst the film looked to have all the right ingredients, it did feel at times as though something special was missing. Hopefully that void is one Anderson manages to find and fill in when it comes to the upcoming Final Chapter.
4. Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)
The third entry into the Resident Evil movie series was brave in that it featured not one or two Alice characters, but a whole bunch of them when Umbrella Corporation developed a slew of clones in the hopes of emulating her incredible powers. Risking the chance of overexposure for its lead character, those behind the flick managed to find the right balance of Alice action and superb storytelling. Odd moments came throughout this movie – none more strange perhaps than when a murder of zombified crows decided to attack Alice and company in the desert – but a stellar final fight scene involving Alice and Isaacs (Iain Glen) made us (nearly) forget about all of that. Being this low on the list doesn’t necessarily mean Extinction is a terrible movie – it’s just that we enjoy the others listed above it a little (or in one cast a lot) more.
3. Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)
Alice took her clones to Tokyo to attack their branch of Umbrella Headquarters in Afterlife, but soon fell victim to Wesker (Shawn Roberts) who injected our hero with a serum and removed her special abilities. Following a helicopter crash and explosion which seemed to only see her walk away in one piece (we would later find out Wesker had also survived), she met up with Claire (Ali Larter) who was being manipulated by a scarab device planted onto her chest. Luckily for her, she was no match for Alice who swiftly removed the device and attempted to help her recall some of her now-lost memories. The pair made their way to Los Angeles, stumbling upon a prison and meeting a pair of new survivors; one of which was Chris Redfield (Wentworth Miller), Claire’s brother. Explaining that the targeted-Arcadia was in fact a tanker, they made their way to the safe haven and put out a call after a confrontation with a super-human Wesker for survivors to make their way to them. Unfortunately for them, Umbrella Corporation and Jill Valentine weren’t ready to let the fight die just yet…
2. Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)
The second movie in the series decided to take viewers out of The Hive and into the wicked world of Racoon City, and it was a welcome change. Pumping a lot more money into the movie meant that more action and special effects could be afforded, and with the introduction of Jill Valentine (Sienna Guillory) came a brand new fan-favourite character. The movie saw the living dead infection spread to the planet’s surface and so, Raccoon City’s entrances and exits were completely sealed, whilst those who still remained in the city faced a fight for survival. Battling against the one thing that cannot be manipulated – time – our heroes this time had to fly away from Raccoon City before it was destroyed in a bid to contain the infection by a nuclear bomb. When all seemed to be settling down, a twist in the tale saw the Umbrella logo flash up in Alice’s eyes. As Project Alice was activated, viewers and fans began to realise that this wasn’t the end, but just the beginning for an all-new side to the story.
1. Resident Evil (2002)
And so we come to our final entry in the list and our favourite Resident Evil movie – the original! A stellar soundtrack allows audiences not familiar with the world of Resident Evil to fully immerse themselves right in the action alongside those who have been fans of the franchise for some time. Anyone who’s a fan of horror flicks should be able to enjoy their time spent with this 2002 film, as it masterfully weaved tense scenes and dramatic fight sequences throughout. Paul W. S. Anderson wrote the original screenplay for the movie, also directing and producing alongside Bernd Eichinger. In introducing the world to his lead female protagonist Alice (Milla Jovovich) and perfectly laying out the foundations for the sequels in the series that were to come, Anderson ticked all the right boxes and ensured the next 15 years would be full of Resident Evil big screen goodness – and we couldn’t be more grateful.
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter hits theaters in the US on January 27 and cinemas in the UK on February 3. Take a look at the trailer for the movie below:
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